State snake.

Senator Niello's legislation designating the giant garter snake as California's official state snake recognizes a species found nowhere else in the world, joining other state symbols like the California poppy and desert tortoise in representing the state's natural heritage.

The giant garter snake, which can grow to 64 inches in length, historically inhabited marshes and slow-moving streams throughout California's Central Valley. Today, these aquatic reptiles primarily occupy agricultural areas, particularly rice fields, where irrigation systems provide habitat similar to their native wetlands. The bill's findings note that over 90 percent of the snake's historic wetland habitat has been lost to agricultural conversion and urban development, leading to its listing as threatened under both state and federal endangered species laws in 1971 and 1993 respectively.

The designation aims to highlight the snake's unique role in California's ecology and agricultural landscapes while drawing attention to ongoing conservation challenges. These include habitat fragmentation, water infrastructure impacts, pesticide exposure, and threats from non-native species. The bill adds Section 422.6 to the Government Code, making the giant garter snake (Thamnophis gigas) the latest addition to California's official state symbols.